Device for electrical connection of electric and electronic components and method of its manufacture

ABSTRACT

A device for electrical connection of components of electric and electronic circuits is made in the form of a two-coordinate commutation matrix of interlaced current conductors, in which for the purpose of providing the possibility of doubling of circuit connections, for compacting the wiring and reducing its cost, for providing an elastic device having the density of laying the contacts corresponding to the parameters of multilayer printed circuits, the matrix is made in the form of a cloth-type interlacing consisting of insulating threads and current lines separated one from another, each being formed by at least two non-insulated parallel current conductors and separated into two groups. Each of the groups corresponds to one coordinate and has parallel current lines, in which case each electric contact node is formed by the interlacing of the current conductors of the current lines relating to different groups.

United States Patent 91 Maringulov DEVICE FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTION OFELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND METHOD OF ITS MANUFACTURE [76]Inventor: Konstantin Avraamovich Maringulov, ulitsa Sedova, 52, kv. 30,Leningrad, U.S.S.R.

[22] Filed: Dec. 12, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 884,661

[52] US. Cl. ..l74/68.5, 29/625, 174/117 M, 317/101 CE [51] Int. Cl...H05k l/04 [58] Field of Search ..174/68.5, 117.2; 317/101 C, 317/101CC; 29/625 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS l.346,l2l 11/1963 Francev.29/625 Jan. 16, 1973 Primary Examiner--Darrell L. Clay Att0rneyWaters,Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [57] ABSTRACT A device for electricalconnection of components of electric and electronic circuits is made inthe form of a two-coordinate commutation matrix of interlaced currentconductors, in which for the purpose of providing the possibility ofdoubling of circuit connections, for compacting the wiring and reducingits cost, for providing an elastic device having the density of layingthe contacts corresponding to the parameters of multilayer printedcircuits, the matrix is made in the form of a cloth-type interlacingconsisting of insulating threads and current lines separated one fromanother, each being formed by at least two non-insulated parallelcurrent conductors and separated into two groups. Each of the groupscorresponds to one coordinate and has parallel current lines, in whichcase each electric contact node is formed by the interlacing of thecurrent conductors of the current lines relating to different groups.

3 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAH 16 1975 SHEET 1 OF 7PATENTEUJAH 16 I975 SHEET 2 OF 7 FIB PATENTEUJAHIB 1975 3.711 627 sum 3(IF 7 PATENTEDJM 161973 3,711,627

SHEET n []F 7 FIG. 5

PATENTEU M 1 I975 SHEET S []F 7 PATENTEUJAH 16 I975 SHEET 8 BF 7 DEVICEFOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTION OF ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS ANDMETHOD OF ITS MANUFACTURE The present invention relates to devices forelectrical connection of electric and electronic circuits and to methodsof their manufacture. The invention can be used in electronic and radioengineering, in radiolocation as well as in other branches ofengineering for making complicated electrical connections.

Known in the art are connections of components of electric circuitsaccomplished by means of insulated and non-insulated conductors combinedinto so called point-to-point wiring. These connections are bulky,labor-consuming and little suitable for components used inmicroelectronics.

Printed wiring boards are widely used in the radio engineeringtechnique. In these boards, however, location of the points ofconnection of the conductors disposed along two coordinates requires agreat number of layers, accurate geometry of the contact elements andsignal lines, accurate superposition of the layers and is associatedwith a complex process of making the electrical junctions between thelayers which constitute one of the most unreliable parts of the printedcircuit board.

All these facts complicate the manufacturing process, increase the costof the devices and reduce the reliability of their operation.

Also known in the art are devices for electrical connection ofcomponents of electric and electronic circuits made in the form of atwo-coordinate commutation matrix which consists of interlacingdouble-layer tapes of current-conducting and insulating materials.Electric contacts in this matrix are provided by corresponding mutuallocation of the current-conducting planes of the tapes disposed alongdifferent coordinates (see the USSR Author's Certificate No. I74 832).

During the process of automatic production of such matrices, it isnecessary to orient the layers of each tape along the axis thereof andthis is a very difficult operation.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above mentioneddisadvantages.

The specific object of the invention is to provide a device forelectrical connection of electric and electronic components which issimple in manufacture, allows the process of its manufacture to beautomated, makes it possible to duplicate the circuit connections, makesthe wiring compact and inexpensive, is elastic with compactly laidcontacts approaching the parameters of multilayer printed wiringcircuits and is much cheaper than the printed wiring boards. Anotherobject is to provide a simple and reliable method of making such deviceson an industrial scale.

This object is attained by providing a device for electrical connectionof electric and electronic components made in the form of two-coordinatecommutation matrix of interlaced current conductors, which devide,according to the invention, has a cloth-type interlacing consisting ofinsulating threads and non-contacting current lines, each being formedby at least two parallel bare conductors divided into two groups, eachof these groups corresponding to one coordinate and having currentlines, in which case each electric contact node is formed by theinterlacing of the current conductors of the current lines relating todifferent groups.

It is expedient, that on the sections having no nodes of electriccontacts the current lines intersect the insulating layer formed by theinterlacing of the insulating threads at a constant pitch, the adjacentcurrent lines inside each group being displaced for a half-pitch whilethe current lines of different groups at places of intersection in spaceare located at the opposite sides of the insulating layer.

On the sections having no electric contacts nodes the current lines ofeach group can be disposed on the 0pposite sides of the insulating layerand can be secured thereon by interlacing with at least one transverseinsulating thread at a predetermined pitch.

The current conductors of one current line are preferably divided byadditional insulating threads parallel to these conductors and takingpart in the additional interlacing during the formation of the electriccontact nodes, in which case the number of current conductors forming acurrent line and disposed along the shuttle of the cloth and the numberof the additional insulating threads separating these conductors arepreferably selected even.

This helps to make sound and reliable devices and allows the knownequipment to be used for the manufacture of these devices.

In order to increase the reliability of the contact node, each currentconductor may be covered with a layer ofa solder and flux compound.

For the sake of strengthening, the electric contact nodes are preferablysoldered by immersing them into a bath of molten solder.

A glass thread may be used as an insulating thread.

The whole device can be strengthened by means of an elastic insulatingcoating.

The method of making the device for electrical connection of electricand electronic components, according to the invention, consists in thatthe device is weaved on a loom with at least two shuttles and a Jacquardmachine.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a general view of the device for electrical connection ofelectric and electronic components according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section of the device according to the invention, in whichthe current lines are intersected in space without forming an electriccontact node;

FIG. 3 is the electric contact node according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is another version of the device according to the invention,accomplished on a section of the electric contact node;

FIG. 5 is the same version of the device, according to the invention, inwhich the current lines are intersected in space without forming anelectric contact node;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the current conductor according to theinvention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII- VII in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a current conductor with an accompanying insulating threadaccording to the invention;

FIG. 9 shows an exemplary connection of the matrix with the circuitcomponents;

FIG. I0 is a folded matrix according to the invention;

FIG. 11 is a double-folded matrix with like flanged current lines;

FIG. 12 shows the matrix with a cut commutation field.

According to the invention, the device for electrical connection ofelectric and electronic components consists of a two-coordinatecommutation matrix made in the form of a cloth-type interlacing. Theinterlacing comprises insulating threads 1 (FIG. 1) and current lines 2and 2 divided into two groups, each being parallel to one of thecoordinates. Inside each group the current lines are parallel and do nottouch one another. For the purpose of providing a reserve and increasingthe reliability of the electric contact node, each current line 2 ismade of at least two parallel bare current conductors 3 and 3'.

The weave of the cloth of the matrix is regular both in the direction ofthe base and in the direction of the shuttle except for the section oflocation of the nodes 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of electric contacts. Theinsulating cloth consists of a fabric composed of insulating threads andis not only insulating but also a carrier member into which in theprocess of interlacing there are laced the current lines 2 and 2' ofboth groups.

All current lines 2 and 2' intersect the insulating cloth formed byinsulating threads 1 in the alternatingsign direction.

Any two adjacent lines of one group intersect the insulating cloth indifferent directions, i.e. where one of them enters the insulatingcloth, the other leaves this cloth. If the distance between one inlet ofthe current line into the cloth and the other inlet thereof isconventionally called a pitch of the current line, the inlet of anyadjacent current line of one group into the insulating cloth is spacedfor a half-pitch, while the places of intersection of the insulatingcloth by the current lines are spaced at a prescribed pitch.

The current lines 9 and 10 (FIG. 2) of different groups on the sectionswhere they are intersected in space are located on the opposite sides ofthe insulation field inside the rectangle A formed by the interlacing ofthe insulating threads 11, 12, 13,14, 15, 16, l7, l8, 19, 20, 21, 22,23, 24, 25 and 26, in which case the current line 9 is disposed underthe rectangle A, while the current line 10 is disposed above it.

The breaking of the regular weave of the current lines on the insulatingcloth takes place in the points of forming the nodes 4-8 (FIG. 1) ofelectric contacts which are located according to the selected code ofconnection of the current lines, i.e. according to the prescribedcircuit diagram. In the drawings 4, 5 and 6 the nodes of electriccontacts are located side-by-side along one of the current lines whilethe node 8 is separated therefrom.

In order to use the known looms for making the matrix and taking intoconsideration that the loom is equipped with a double-stroke shuttle,the current lines located along the shuttle of the cloth should be madeof an even number of current conductors while the number of insulatingthreads within one pitch should also be even. The warp may have anynumber of current lines and insulating threads. In practice it isexpedient to use three current conductors in the current line located onthe warp and two current conductors in the current line located alongthe shuttle, whereas the number of insulating threads both along theshuttle and along the warp of the cloth within one pitch is preferablytaken equal to four. These ratios provide for a sufficient reserve ofthe current conductors and a high reliability of the electric contactnode as in this case there is ensured a small pitch of disposition ofthe current lines, therefore, a considerable density of disposition ofthe electric contact nodes.

Tentatively, we may consider that the use of the current conductors andinsulating threads having 0.06 to 0.1 mm in a cross section provides fora pitch of disposition of the current lines equal to l to 2 mm.

The most important component in the matrix are the electric contactnodes 4-8 which are the net type interlacing of the current conductors 3and 3' (FIG. 3) of the first and second groups located between theinsulating threads 1 running along the shuttle and the cloth warp.

Such a node provides six points 27 of mechanical and electricalcontacting duplicating each other. The current conductors 3 and 3 aremechanically tightened while the insulating threads 1 are so disposedrelative to the electric contact node that they press the currentconductors 3 and 3 against each other.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show. another embodiment of the matrix, in which betweenthe current conductors 28 and 28' there are disposed additionalinsulating threads 29 and 29' taking part in the common interlacing.

The current lines 30 running along the warp of the cloth are disposed onone side of the cloth and are secured by insulating threads 31 and 32while the current lines 30' running along the shuttle of the cloth aredisposed on the other side of the cloth and secured by the insulatingthreads 33 and 34.

FIG. 4 shows a section of the device with an electric contact node whileFIG. 5 shows a section of the device on which the current lines 30 and30 are intersected in space without fonning an electric contact node.

Depending on the construction of the electric circuit to be used inconnection with the matrix, the electric contact nodes can be arrangedon any surface of the matrix or some components are located on one sideof the cloth and other components are located on the other side of thesame cloth.

This makes it possible to connect the components to the matrix not onlyabout the periphery but over the total area thereof.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4 the matrix provides for ahigh rate of reserve of the current conductors and the reliability ofelectric contact nodes.

The number of points of mechanical and electrical contacts in thismatrix is equal to l8 because on the cloth warp the current lines areduplicated by three current conductors while along the shuttle they areduplicated by six current conductors. However, such a solutionconsiderably increases the spacing between the current lines although italso increases the reliability of the device.

The matrix shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may have a smaller number of currentconductors along the shuttle of the cloth, for example four conductors.Such a matrix is more convenient for disposition of elastic componentsover its area than the matrix shown in FIG. 1.

If the loom is used for simultaneous making of several matrices, therapport of the weave will be repeated many times so that there isprovided a spacing between the current lines and the insulating threadsrunning along each edge of the matrix so that when cutting the spacedsection along the medium line, the length of the projected current linesof each matrix would correspond to the length required for making acontact. The free ends of the insulating threads are cut off. The cutedges of the cloth are preferably provided with a braiding of insulatingthreads running along the shuttle and the cloth warp in the form of aplait or with a dense non-ravelling braid, in which case the matrix cutfrom common cloth will have a strong edging which will maintain thegeometry of disposition of the outlet ends of the current lines duringthe wiring.

Before or after the contacting of the matrix with the currentcomponents, the edging of the matrix can be cutoff.

In order to facilitate the coating of the current lines, a brightlycolored insulated thread is preferably introduced through a definitenumber of the current lines, for example to follow each tenth line, thecolor to of this thread differing from that of the basic insulatingthreads.

Insertion of the colored insulating threads into the warp of the clothis not difficult while the insertion of these threads into the shuttleof the cloth requires the use of a loom provided with a correspondingnumber of shuttles.

For the purpose of mechanical strengthening of the electric contactnodes and for reducing and stabilizing their junction resistance, it isnecessary to solder the electric contact nodes by immersing them into asolder whose melting point is such that it does not cause a destructionof the insulating threads. In order to facilitate the solderingoperation, current conductors are used having a layer 35 (FIG. 6) of asolder and a layer 36 of a flux compound.

A copper wire is the best material for the current conductors while aglass thread is the best material for the insulating threads. Thecomponents operating under normal climatic conditions may be providedwith insulating threads in the form of silk, cotton or syntheticthreads.

In order to protect the matrix against any external effect and toprevent it from ocassional short circuits and damages, it should becoated with a layer 37 (FIG. 7) of an elastic insulating compound orimpregnated with an elastic compound.

In making the matrix it is advisable to use a loom or a tape weavingmachine equipped with a Jacquard machine, said loom having at least twoshuttles.

If the current conductors are made of a low-quality wire or in case ofan unskilled adjustment of the loom in the process of braiding, the wirecan be broken. When it is not possible to eliminate the causes, thenumber of breakdowns can be considerably reduced by means of a currentconductor 38 (FIG. 8) twisted together with an accompanying thread 39.

The accompanying thread 39 practically does not affect the quality ofthe electric contact node. The thread 39 can be removed from the readymatrix by means of burning or etching depending on the properties of thematerial of this thread and on the properties of the material of theinsulating thread.

It is necessary to pay attention to the advantages of the matrix whenusing one of its basic properties, that is the flexibility.

The matrix can be made in the form ofa flexible train provided with allthe necessary electrical connections. In this case the unit 40 (FIG. 9)can be made without a commutation board. During the wiring it issufficient to connect the terminals 41 of the circuit components to theterminals 42 of the cloth of the matrices 43 and to lead it through theconnector 44 for connection with the other unit (not shown).

The flexibility of the matrix allows it to be pleated as shown in FIG.10, and this is very important for microelectronics components.

If the matrix 45 (FIG. 11) is folded in half and the current lines 46are closed into a ring, the reliability of the matrix will beconsiderably increased.

The density of disposition of the electric contact nodes can beconsiderably increased by making partial cuttings 47 and 48 having adifferent length, in which case the current lines 49 are usedrepeatedly.

The above-described device for electrical connection of electric andelectronic components consisting of a thin elastic cloth, which can berolled up or folded in any direction, makes it possible to solve theproblem of obtaining both irregular and regular code of commutation fora circuit of any complexity, in which case the connections are providedin one layer of the cloth while the working elements are connected toany side along the periphery and over the area of the matrix.

The intensity of laying of the electric contact nodes is high andbasically depends on the rated diameters of the wires and insulatingthreads approaching the commutation possibilities of the multilayerprinted circuit board.

The matrix can be made with the help of well known and widely usedtextile equipment whose efficiency in making the matrices is the same asthat of the machine for weaving curtain (tapestry) fabric.

The cost of the matrix is many times lower than that of the multilayerprinted circuit boards. The reliability of the matrix is much higherthan that of the printed circuit boards.

The flexibility of the matrix provides for new possibilities indesigning the units, components and machines, particularly in themicroelectronics technique.

We claim:

1. A device for electrical connection of components of electric andelectronic circuits consisting of a twocoordinate commutation matrixcomprising in combination: insulating threads woven in two coordinates;non-insulating parallel current conductors, at least two said currentconductors forming one current line; all said current lines beingdivided into two groups, each corresponding to one coordinate and havingparallel current lines; said insulating threads and said current linesbeing interlaced and having the form of a cloth with nodes of electriccontacts; said nodes of electric contacts being formed by weaving saidcurrent conductors of the current lines relating to different groups theadjacent conductors in the same line being interlaced with the lines ofthe other coordinate at each node so as to alternate in their weavingpattern with one conductor passing over and under the lines of theconductors of the other coordinate whereas the adjacent conducwhereassaid current lines of different groups are located on opposite sides ofsaid insulating layer at the places of intersection in space.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising additional insulatingthreads to separate said current conductors forming a single currentline and additionally interlaced at said electric contact nodes.

1. A device for electrical connection of components of electric andelectronic circuits consisting of a two-coordinate commutation matrixcomprising in combination: insulating threads woven in two coordinates;non-insulating parallel current conductors, at least two said currentconductors forming one current line; all said current lines beingdivided into two groups, each corresponding to one coordinate and havingparallel current lines; said insulating threads and said current linesbeing interlaced and having the form of a cloth with nodes of electriccontacts; said nodes of electric contacts being formed by weaving saidcurrent conductors of the current lines relating to different groups theadjacent conductors in the same line being interlaced with the lines ofthe other coordinate at each node so as to alternate in their weavingpattern with one conductor passing over and under the lines of theconductors of the other coordinate whereas the adjacent conductor of thesame current line passes under and over the conductors of the othercoordinate.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which on the sectionhaving no nodes of electric contacts said insulating threads form aninsulating layer due to the interlacing, while said current linesintersect said insulating layer at a constant pitch, the adjacentcurrent lines inside of each group being displaced a half-pitch, whereassaid current lines of different groups are located on opposite sides ofsaid insulating layer at the places of intersection in space.
 3. Adevice as claimed in claim 1, comprising additional insulating threadsto separate said current conductors forming a single current line andadditionally interlaced at said electric contact nodes.